CHAPTER TEN: REDEMPTION
"All the darling buds of May, they fall with no sound.."
Jiraiya's acquiescence that afternoon had brought Naruto an unrivaled sense of happiness. He'd given her notes, shown her examples of seals. He'd drawn new, extravagant ones up in front of her! Just for the sake of it! He told her she'd need to get the basics down, and was shocked when she knew the entirety of the Konoha Basic Sealing Alphabet. He'd promptly bit his thumb, and summoned a small toad.
The toad had poofed, and minutes letter returned all it's own. It had retrieved a mammoth of a book- No, tome, and then, Jiraiya had handed it to her with a grave expression. "I could never use this, it requires certain blood." He'd told her quietly, causing her entire world to stop turning.
Her fingers had trembled as she ran them across the spirals and seals carved into the cover like intricate designs, she made sure to feel every groove and crook that had been lovingly carved in. All of them were intentional. There wasn't a scratch on it that was purposeless. With bated breaths, she realized the entire cover was a sealing array.
"You'll need a drop of blood in the center spiral to open it." Jiraiya explained, voice gravelly. His words were heard, but not addressed. Naruto's eyes were busy drinking in the artifact he had sat before her. It was intoxicating, calling her attention, even.
It was an enormous, dust covered tome, weighing at least 50lbs. The cover was a dark shade of blood-red, yet it stunk the way all old books do, despite the power that seemed to emanate from every page.
After minutes of staring in awe, she bit her thumb, tearing the skin. She knew this thing would need a good bit of blood to open, large as it was. She let the blood drip out of her flesh and into the center divet, which turned into a spiral.
Of its own volition, her blood began traveling through the spiral. And then, spreading through the rest of the carvings. Blood continued to drip from her thumb as it filled all of the crevices, a soft light coming from the fluid. Her blood. Was glowing, she realized dumbly.
Only once all the crevices had been filled, did the blood suddenly solidify, filling the crevices with dark black. There seemed to be glitter in it, the black sparkled strangely.
She'd nearly forgotten Jiraiya, until he'd cursed quietly. "The Uzumaki were something else. That book hasn't had an owner since Kushina died and couldn't use her blood to open it. It just claimed you, kid. The book's only gonna open for you and yours, until your passing." He'd explained, a certain darkness in his voice that Naruto just couldn't understand. She felt borderline hazy, up until that moment, she thought it's power was inexplicable.
And then Jiraiya explained what made this huge book, which was easily as wide as her shoulders, special. It had been Kushina's, brought from Uzushio before its destruction. Her aunt was a seal-keeper, and had gifted much of Uzushio's knowledge in that single book. To Kushina. Who had later gave it to Minato. Who died.
Which left Jiraiya to claim it. And thus, pass it onto their daughter. Her. Naruto. He'd given her an Uzumaki Sealing Tome.
Uzumaki as in. Her. Family. She'd tackled him for the biggest bear hug he'd received in years.
If the elder council found out, they'd kill him. Or maybe her. Possibly both? They'd be outraged that such an artifact was given to their jinchuriki, rather than to the village archives.
Gathering her senses, and wiping the dopey grin off her face, she opened it. On the inside of the cover, there was a list of names.
Chihiro KushinaAnd then, an empty third space. Naruto didn't hesitate to sign her name below the only other two. Below her mothers. Her mothers.
She felt a surge of electricity go through her, excited at the very concept she was now in possession of something of her mothers. Jiraiya tousled her hair, looking at her knowingly.
"So, have I repaid my debts yet?" He asked amusedly, as Naruto flicked through the pages
Fanciful, elegant arrays all over the pages. A glossary saying where to find what, handwritten pages of notes added into the book by Kushina, all on pages of their own. Naruto teared up at the sight of her mother's handwriting, knowing it was just like her own. Rushed, yet missing not a single stroke.
An entire map of Uzushio, as well as lists of what materials make for stronger seals. Inks affected the seal more than the writing utensil, apparently. But, your penmanship skill was the most important of those three factors. Squid ink made for strong seals, but blood seals were the most powerful of all, and should be used only when absolutely necessary.
Naruto had just opened the book, and she was already learning. Quickly, too.
She passed dozens upon dozens of other pages of arrays, examples, notes, information, and more before she reached the back. Lists describing ways to subtly inscribe seals, good places to hide them, the various types….
She'd even seen pages of seals and pieces of alphabets stolen from Kusa, Iwa, Kiri, and other countries as she skimmed the aged parchment.
It went on forever, a page submitted by Kushina entitled, "prank seals," and another named, "must-haves." One was called, 'simple," and they were all more extravagant than anything Naruto had produced. The girl paused to wonder if Kushina had added such pages for a future child, for herself, or possibly just for Minato?
She couldn't ignore her curiosity long enough to ponder it, and kept looking.
The back of the book brought a twinkle to her eye, because she found the Uzumaki Sealing Alphabet. An entire alphabet, dedicated and brought up by her clan. It explained why all the seals she'd seen thus far had been so confusing to her; they weren't in her language.
This… Naruto realized, was a life changer. This book would bring her more power than any kunai. The fundamentals in this book would let her invent hundreds of new seals in the future. She'd be able to replicate the ones described and used as examples,, even sooner than that. The limit would be her imagination.
She hadn't realized she said that last bit aloud until Jiraiya replied, "That's what makes the sealing arts so special. A person with no creativity would never excel in fuinjutsu. Maybe that's why the Uzumaki did, they were a strange bunch, with the reserves to power all the seals they could imagine. And the regeneration to survive if a seal went wrong."
Naruto couldn't help but smile at him, nodding along with what he'd said. "Sounds like the types I'd be related to." She decided to finish her quick tour of the book after that.
The back two pages were dedicated to Uzumaki written code, yet it was an incomplete guide added by Kushina- her mother, she thought excitedly - last minute. Still she swore to learn and teach the bits that were there.
Someone had to keep her family's practices alive.
''You gotta keep this thing safe, kid. Guard it with your life- Better yet, your soul." He emphasized the word Life, and Naruto nodded her agreement. "Say, couldn't I get a seal tattoo and keep it on my body?" She asked, knowing fully that the safest place she could keep it would be on her own skin. He clicked his tongue.
"'Fraid not, kid. As a shinobi, you gotta be at least a chuunin to get tattoos. They make genin too identifiable. You could petition the Hokage, but.." He trailed off, his lack of faith in the Sandaime evident. She huffed incredulously, "Yeah, no. I don't expect him to do much for me." Jiraiya's face fell, despairing at her lack of faith in her Kage. He wouldn't tell a soul, but he truly wondered if Naruto was loyal to Lord Third.. A jinchuriki had to be.
"What you said might be treasonous to some." Jiraiya said tonelessly. She smiled, "No, no. I love my Kage. Distantly. More than that, I love my village, and all my friends. My teachers, too.. This village is my world."
He breathed a sigh of relief at her assurance. "I am legally required to tell the Hokage I left that book in your care," He started slowly, catching her gaze. "But I don't have to tell him what we discussed here. I just told you that you're an Uzumaki. You know nothing else."
The silence spoke volumes. Jiraiya wasn't going to spill her knowledge.
"Nothing else." She repeated quietly.
He nodded firmly. "Now, kid. I gotta get going. People I need to see."
She chewed the inside of her cheek, sensing something hidden in his tone. "Over me? Or just… Work?"
He sighed. "Both. But don't worry, your secrets are between us. I just.. Need to let someone know you're well." She understood, perhaps it was one of her parents' friends, or someone of the sort. He handed her a storage seal from his pouch, allowing her to put the hefty tome away.
Naruto wondered if this was the last she'd see of Jiraiya, but he seemed to read her mind. A wide, sturdy hand landed atop her head, rubbing his thumb against her hair.
"I won't ignore you anymore kid. I can't be here all the time, but.. You're my goddaughter. I'll be here for you as long as I can be."
He sighed, and Naruto felt some unidentifiable emotion growing in her gut. Happiness that she had him, now? Or anger she hadn't sooner? Gratefulness or melancholy?
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."
And Naruto forgave him.
After their meeting, Naruto decided to take a walk around her village, the seal jiraiya gave her heavier than parchment should ever be. The Konoha air was so clean of despair, the smell of nature never leaving her nose. It wasn't like the smell of Wave, in which the air carried sea salt and rot.
She was home, the warm sun on her skin, clean air and her lungs and no deadly battles in the Horizon. Her body was no longer covered in bruises, scrapes, and cuts. The fracture in her femur from the fight with Zabuza- which she'd ever mentioned to any of her teammates back in Wave, was gone. She smiled, thanking her passenger for the quick-healing.
It had healed so quickly there was no time for anyone to find out the nasty bruise she'd gotten in that battle was more than that.
She let the thought pass her by, content on the academy swing that her feet had mindlessly carried her to. She was home, and she was safe.
Internally, she repeated that phrase over and over, trying to find comfort in it. No matter what, she thought, there was a ball of anxiety in her chest that just wouldn't leave.
Her peaceful silence was eventually interrupted, not that she minded. She knew that chakra signature as if it were her own.
"Naruto," A stern voice said.
She continued staring at the ground, grinding on foot into it so as not to move too much. The sound of steps grew closer, sandals against soft grass.
"Look at me." The voice repeated, calling her attention. She did as asked. "Neji!" She greeted with fake cheer, smiling as warmly as she could muster. His chakra felt colder than usual, she noted.
His voice quivered slightly as he spoke. "I looked everywhere for you. The Hyuuga received word that Hinata was back in the village, and open for visitation very early yesterday. When I arrived, you had already gone."
She just stared.
"Naturally, I checked your apartment. Your favored training grounds, that ramen stand you enjoy so thoroughly, I even checked here. Then, this morning, Tenten was late too training. She had spent the night with you and Ino." He continued, voice growing more stern, less emotional.
"I could not get details of the mission from Hinata, not with her father present. But interrogating Tenten revealed a few things."
Naruto swallowed thickly. She really didn't want to talk about it. "It went wrong, obviously."
He gave a subtle nod, looking at her, searching her. "I worried for you." He said plainly.
The words were heavy on his tongue, impossible to say, until he did. There was no relief in saying it, he only found solace in searching her with his byakugan. She had no injuries.
Somehow.
All of Team 8 had depleted reserves, drastically overused muscles causing tears in some areas... Kiba had long lasting bruises from a fight with a chuunin, Hinata's pathways around her eyes were swollen by the sudden overuse. Her body wasn't used to it. Shino had immediately signed himself up for a psych eval, and Kurenai had suffered a nearly life-ending injury, on top of depleted reserves. Neji had learned all of this.
Yet here Naruto was. Unharmed.
"They weren't taking us seriously. At all." Naruto told him quietly, voice nearly a whisper. Her head fell. It was true and she knew it. In the moment, she hadn't, none of Team Eight.
After the fight, however, it was clear.
Zabuza was more merciful than his reputation, or else their truce would've never happened. He had fought her like it was a spar, and not like a deathmatch. Had he been even slightly afraid of them, they'd have all died. Kurenai was powerful, yes, but she was a poor match for him.
If it had been Anko instead, Naruto wondered pointlessly, would Zabuza have gone all out and killed them? She'd have been a better-suited opponent. Had Team 8 not been a couple of kids, would he have slaughtered every one of them?
"So, your opponent was playing with you, and you were still fighting for your lives?" Neji asked tensely. "How can that be?"
"A-ranked missing nin. Zabuza Momochi and his accomplice."
The earth seemed to go quiet, a deafening silence after what she said.
"I know." She told him quietly, answering any of his unspoken questions. With the fire snuffed out of him, he crumbled gracelessly at the base of the tree, while Naruto remained on her swing. Together, they allowed the silence to reign, needing each other's companionship more than anything.
Jiraiya, like his goddaughter, found himself in a difficult situation of his own. Kakashi had long since moved out of the ANBU housing complex, and after asking around, Jiraiya got his new address.
Dreadfully, he went to an apartment building on the eastern side of central Konoha, finding Kakashi's apartment with ease.
Before he'd even went through the door, a strange smell was leaking through the cracks beneath it. Knocking three times, he heard shuffling before it was opened.
"Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi said with practiced nonchalance, using his body to block the older man's view into the apartment. Jiraiya could see the mess inside despite him.
Jiraiya stared at him levelly, "I need to talk to you about something, kid." As was typical of him nowadays, Kakashi Hatake put on his goofy, airheaded persona. "Ah, one minute! I'm afraid I left my sink running." Before slamming the door.
Jiraiya hadn't heard any running water, but the moment Kakashi shut the door, there was an expel of chakra, and the sound of four feet scurrying around the apartment. Various miscellaneous sounds, from a vacuum running to bangs, clinking glass, clamors, and barking dogs. Then, what sounded like the kssshhh of an air freshener can.
Then Kakashi opened the door, this time blocking nothing. Behind him the apartment was spotless. Jiraiya wasn't sure if he was impressed. At least Kakashi had the ability to clean up after himself, it just worried the man that he needed Jiraiya there to do it. Kakashi had been rather neat before Minato's passing.
"Come in!" Kakashi welcomed him cheerfully, moving aside to allow Jiraiya in.
Stepping inside, Jiraiya welcomed himself to Kakashi's couch. Kakashi himself sat across from him in a chair. "What brought you here?" Asked the silver-haired man. Jiraiya stared down at the cedar floorboards, trying to find a way to approach the subject. His shoulders slumped as he decided just to wing it. "It's Naruto. He pretended not to notice the way Kakashi's body language immediately became tense and uncomfortable. "What about her?"
Jiraiya chuckled. "It's nothing horrible, so long as you don't take into account her latest mission." Kakashi nodded his agreement, "That was terrible luck." Scratching his chin and leaning into the stiff, unused couch, Jiraiya attempted to relax. This was just a casual conversation about someone they both knew. Simple. Easy.
"Ol Hiruzen hasn't exactly been forthcoming regarding her development…I, uh, wondered if maybe you'd like an update. I know you haven't been there." Kakashi winced, and Jiraiya realized his unfortunate wording. "I'm not shaming you! I haven't either," He paused to sigh. "It's hard. Real hard." Jiraiya said, much softer.
"She looks just like them." Kakashi agreed dully, guilt in his dark eyes. "She does."
Kakashi swallowed thickly, resting his head against one hand.
"You know, uh, she's really something else." Jiraiya tried to start, as Kakashi agreed. "I know, a while ago I saw her running across balconies with Maito Gai and his apprentice."
Jiraiya was a little startled, but laughed genuinely at that. "Really? Yeesh, our Naruto has a wide range of friends. I heard through the grapevine, she's friends with both the Yamanaka heiress and the Hyuuga heiress. Friends in all sorts of places." Kakashi looked surprised, "Really? I was told she didn't have many friends in the academy…." He said slowly.
Jiraiya scoffed. "Hiruzen's never been all that forthright about Naruto. I read her teacher's comments from every semester. The first few years, she had no one. Eventually, in her last year or so, she ended up amongst a group of boys, I believe her friends were… Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, as well as Kiba Inuzuka." Kakashi seemed to visibly perk up at the realization Naruto hasn't been totally isolated. "They skipped school together." Jiraiya told Kakashi, voice full of mirth.
Kakashi sighed a breath of relief, "That's the past though, what do you come to tell me about now?" Jiraiya hummed. "Mostly, I come here because of my own guilt. We… Left her, alone. We'd have never had to worry about her being lonely if we just stepped up…"
Kakashi shamefully agreed, and remained silent. He was too cowardly to step in, to even say hi, all those years ago. He'd been her ANBU shadow while she was a little thing, but he'd never tried bonding with her.
He'd never even revealed to her he'd been there.
"But she's flourished. And she'll keep flourishing. She doesn't need us. But god, if we let Minato's kid live without us, he might kill us in the afterlife." Jiraiya said with a grim chuckle, before continuing. "She's advanced for her age, if we were at war she'd probably have been field promoted to chuunin by now." Jiraiya was clearly impressed, the girl had been a genin for no time at all.
The older man stood up, preparing to leave.
"And I can see in her eyes the way she yearns for family. She might be prickly with you at first, she's a lot like Kushina. But, I think it would be good for both of you." He shrugged, and Kakashi couldn't help but ask.
"What do you mean?" Asked the silver haired man, still seated.
"It's not healthy to constantly flog yourself over the past, Kakashi. Embrace the present! There's a kid out there who would love to have another mentor, and you owe her. It's not like you don't spend time with brats already." Jiraiya explained easily, opening Kakashi's door to let himself out.
Kakashi was frozen, but the words spilled out of his mouth despite it. "She should've- I wish she'd landed on my team."
Jiraiya sighed. "Yeah. Me too. But she didn't. And we have to deal with it."
With that, the toad sage was gone. Kakashi hung his head in his hands, conscious of Jiraiya's footsteps going further and further down the hall.
Hyuuga Hinata had never been brave.
But when her father challenged her to a spar; the day after she was released from the hospital… Suddenly, she was no longer mousey Hinata.
Hinata had ended lives on her mission. She'd saved lives. Protected. Fought. Feared. And stood strong. Suddenly, a spar with her father seemed so much more insignificant. His oppressive gaze landed square on her, byakugan already at the ready.
Neji was nowhere to be seen, Hanabi was training. It was just her and Father.
"R-Rules?" She asked, stuttering despite the steel in her own two eyes.
"There are none. Show me what your mission has taught you, Daughter."
And Hinata did. Hiashi was brutal, but he was taking it easy on her. The nurses had told her not to train at all, and yet, Hinata was fighting to the best she could.
She evaded jyuuken strike after jyuuken strike, stealing the forms she'd seen Naruto exhibit.
Her father didn't say a word. Didn't call out the way she shifted out of the Gentle Fist style and into something he didn't recognize.
A two-finger blow skated by Hinata's head, she ducked and rolled, between his legs and behind him. She immediately righted herself, attempting to strike her father with a kick to his spine.
Kicks weren't dignified, they weren't Hyuuga.
Yet, she'd done it anyway, picturing Naruto and her team cheering her on.
Her father had used a seal-free shunshin to escape her attack, reappearing behind her.
With speed she'd never had, she turned to face him, and their wordless battle continued. Hinata was constantly on the defense, evading all she could, knowing if her father landed a strike, the pain would be hers alone.
That was, until Hinata got an idea. The silence of their battle had let her hear all of the sound around them, from chirping birds, to rustling leaves and a babbling brook.
Water. Her element. Focusing her chakra on it as well as she could mid-spar, she began drawing it towards them.
She had no doubts her father saw the water gathering and approaching them, but he let her do it regardless. Something… Something was different, about the both of them. Hiashi was never so lax about her forms, about her tactics.
Hinata was internally baffled.
Her surprise had cost her, as her father landed a precise strike to her shoulder, the pain surging through her body. Forcing him to move with another sweeping kick, she then leapt far from him.
Nimble, small hands flashed through hand-seals. Hiashi remained still.
"Mizu Hari! Thousand Water needles!" She screamed, bringing forth the water she'd noticed, splitting it into hundreds of what resembled senbon.
Hiashi disappeared as the needles landed precisely where he'd once been. Hinata barely had the time to duck and roll as Hiashi appeared behind her. Resuming her defensive stance, she realized Hiashi hadn't attempted to strike her just then.
"It is as I thought." He spoke abruptly, and Hinata's spell broke. Suddenly, she felt so tiny. So insignificant. She breathed heavily, her muscles- every single one- ached. She was dead on her blistered feet, that fight had come from heart, not body.
Before she had the chance to start second guessing every move she'd made, Hiashi had spoken again.
"Sit. We must talk." Immediately, she obeyed. The two of them assumed the seiza position against the dirty ground, across from one another. He cleared his throat as gracefully as a person could, and then began. "I read your mission report. Multiple times, actually. It is clear to me that you could have died." Hiashi said without any emotion. Not one hint of feeling. Hinata fought the desire to hang her head.
"As my heir, it is of utmost importance that you excel in the Hyuuga arts. Flower code, sensing, the gentle fist, our jutsu… These must be mastered by every heir."
Hinata schooled her face, though she felt as if she'd just bit a lemon.
"Previous heirs who failed this… They were demoted to the branch house, and promptly sealed. This is why I am so harsh on you, Hinata."
Hinata's pearly eyes widened impossibly wide. She'd always wondered… "Your…" Now Hiashi was the one who looked outwardly sour, his brows furrowed.
"Your freedom is of value to me. When you were just a girl, you spoke of all the things you would change about our clan. With age, and your mother's passing, with your continual failings…."
"You have seemingly lost some of that... Audacity. Spunk, as some would say." Hinata's face turned crimson, she hardly remembered those days. She used to be someone like Hanabi, fiery and passionate. As a little girl, she'd told her cousin that she would undo his seal.
The clan elders had tried to make her parents use horrific punishments for even speaking such a thing. "It brings me great sadness. Especially to know that I have aided in your downfall. I do not expect you to ever become the girl you would've. You are irreparably changed."
She couldn't reply to him, but she didn't think he wanted her to. Her mouth was drier than Suna on a hot summer morning.
"It doesn't matter. You are still the heir. You are still my daughter. I have pushed you for years, past your breaking point. Despite my attempts to beat our techniques into you…" His voice broke slightly then, like he'd been brought to a sudden clarity.
Hinata wondered if it was fear for her life that had made him realize such things.
The sun began to set behind her father, the sky painted in shades of blue, yellow and gold.
"You flourish with a diversity of tactics. You have a proficiency for elemental ninjutsu, and we cannot even say that Water is your specialty. We've never even looked into it."
He breathed out, slowly. "Had you not sought out those tactics of your own volition, your fate would have been death." Hinata nodded slowly.
"The Hyuuga ways of stubbornly sticking to our arts… Could have cost you your very life. This is not acceptable, regardless of what the elders may believe." A breeze brought goosebumps to Hinata's skin. Or, maybe, it was what Hiashi had said next. "Our ways must change, daughter. I will start the work, and as my heir, you will one day finish it. I can only hope that this is right for our clan."
"Once you have rested, we will begin your new training regiment. You must be stronger." Suddenly, he stood.
"And. This Friday, gather your team. I would like to have dinner with the genin who were by your side in that mission."
With that, Hiashi was gone, and Hinata was left gawking in the area their spar had taken place in.
Naruto woke up to the sound of her own screaming.
Blue eyes flashed open, the girl abruptly sitting up and checking her surroundings. A tear fell from one eye inexplicably. She was home, she reminded herself. She couldn't help but scan the room for a threat, only spotting a few things that needed to be picked up from the floor.
Laying back down, her bed creaked. With a disgusted face she realized her back, and her sheets, were soaked in sweat. Scowling, she threw herself out of bed. Immediately she changed shirts, throwing it in the hamper to wash.
After yanking her sheets off, they joined the shirts fate in the hamper.
Naruto was still shaken from a nightmare she couldn't remember as she put the spare sheets on her bed. She tried to distract herself, thinking over whether most people preferred tatami mats or western style beds.
By the time her nerves calmed, it was too late for her to get any more sleep. The sun was high in the sky, casting light onto her kitchen table, where she sat prodding her instant ramen. She felt horrible for wasting it, but she really had no appetite.
Flashes of guts, a skewered man, the putrid smell of corpses left out, dried bile and blood.
No appetite at all. Leaving the rickety table, and the untouched ramen, she started to get dressed. Tying her koshihimo and pulling on her socks seemed like such a chore. Even so, she was tempted to get her trench coat out of the closet she'd returned it to.
She felt naked, exposed, without it.
With one last attempt to rub the sleep out of her eyes, she looked in the mirror. Rings under her eyes told of her lack of sleep, but apart from that, Naruto thought she looked fine.
She was too exhausted to do her usual pig tails, so she just put her hair in a high pony, slid on the standard issue nin-sandals, and left. She just hoped Anko would arrive on time, lest Naruto pass out in the middle of the training ground she currently waited at.
By the time Anko did arrive, Naruto was thankfully still awake.
"Holy shit, kid! You look like hell!" The woman remarked.
"A 'hello, how are you,' might've been nice…." Naruto couldn't help but gripe. "Meh, not my style. I'm not training you in that condition, though. Carry your sorry ass home." Anko said, rather chipper. "Oh, and Ibiki wants you in office, the day after tomorrow."
Naruto figured Anko must be grateful to get another day off training her.
Yawning, she spoke. "Yeah well, training or not, I got big news." Naruto stretched, attempting to get some life in her. Anko nodded, "Do tell."
"After I got back from that shitshow mission in Wave," She paused, "The one with the guy with rippling muscles?" Anko asked, because that was truly the only thing she remembered Naruto telling her about.
Naruto's deadpan expression said it all. "Yep." The blonde confirmed dryly. Anko waved for her to go on."
"I ran into Jiraiya of the Sannin, he agreed to train me, I got an Uzumaki sealing tome, real exciting." Anko's jaw dropped. "YOU GOT A WHAT?!" She screamed, so loud and shrill that Naruto thought one of her eardrums busted.
Kicking a pebble aside with her shoe, Naruto looked rather bored. Rather than meeting Anko's wide eyes, she stared at all the lush green trees surrounding them. The vibrant grass, sprouts of random flowers, and sturdy oaks were what made Konoha so beautiful. "Ah yeah, you know how it is."
Anko let out a string of Very, Very colorful curses.
Naruto grinned, "Basically, it really looks like I'll be able to keep my promise to you. Sooner than we thought, too."
Anko sat on the dried dirt below them, taking that in. "Nah kid, don't even think about it. The chuunin exams are in just over a week from now. You gotta keep that promise first." Her smile was as mischievous as ever, Naruto thought. It warmed her heart.
"Right. I'll kick ass like never before, believe it! Then, I'll become a super cool seal-master, and then, hokage." Anko cackled, "Woah, three step plan for success, I love it. There's beauty in simplicity."
Naruto nodded her head, expression faux-serious. "You can bet your ass there is."
Breaking her serious façade, Naruto's stomach grumbled loudly.
Anko looked at her curiously.
Naruto met her gaze.
"Dango?"
"Dango is good."
And like that, the two were off, training long forgotten.